London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jun 23, 2026

Beyond Veganuary: Is going plant-based a smart way to lose weight?

Search for #Veganuary on Instagram and you'll find meatless burgers, dairy-free croissants and porridge topped with just about every plant-based food you can think of.

You'll also find people posing in gym wear, adverts for "diet" protein powders and posts about weight loss.

People do Veganuary for a wide range of ethical and health reasons. For some it's weight loss - especially if they're inspired by celebrities like Beyonce, whose pre-Coachella diet was described by nutritionists as potentially dangerous.

But is it a viable or healthy way to shed pounds in January, or in the long-run?

For Laura Banks, 23, losing weight was one of the main drives behind doing Veganuary, and she has been documenting her progress on Instagram.

"I do feel a lot more healthy," she says, three weeks in. "But I've had a similar weight loss to when I was an omnivore."

She says she feels adequately informed about maintaining a balanced diet because she studies nutrition at university, and stresses the importance of planning meals ahead.

One challenge she's found to weight loss, however, is the availability of vegan fast-food - especially since she doesn't have enough room in her student accommodation to store the fresh produce she'd like to buy.

Sam Calvert, spokeswoman for the Vegan Society, stresses that being vegan doesn't necessarily mean being slim, and that whether or not you lose weight by going plant-based will depend on what you eat.

"You can eat nothing but vegan chocolate and chips and be vegan, but you won't lose weight and it won't be good for you," she says.

She adds that veganism is a broader "belief" that goes beyond diet, and hopes that ethical considerations are the main reason people choose to stay vegan after January.

Harley Street nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert takes issue with celebrities promoting vegan diets.

She thinks Veganuary is founded on "good motives", but that doing it to lose weight is "not very sustainable" if shedding pounds is a long-term goal.

"Straight away if you have one month in your head, or one way of eating in your head, you're limiting yourself and making it harder for yourself to keep up those changes," she says.

She urges people considering going plant-based after January to make small changes such as meat-free Mondays.

This way your body can get used to having fewer animal products over time, rather than having to cope with a sudden change that can be a "shock" for the digestive system, she says.

She adds that people who do go plant-based need to ensure they get enough protein, iodine, calcium, B12, iron, vitamin D and omega 3.

Toni Vernelli, spokeswoman for Veganuary, says people who signed up through the campaign's official website receive daily emails about nutrition.

She stresses that going vegan "doesn't mean deprivation" but, like Laura, says it does require common sense and planning.


'I wasn't very educated'

Sumaya Tarabi, a vegan food blogger from west London, says she didn't know enough about nutrition when she became vegan at 15, and warns people against going plant-based to look like "skinny" Instagram influencers like she did.

"I wasn't very educated so I used veganism as a way to restrict myself," she says, adding that she was "constantly starving" because she didn't know enough about nutrition.

She says she also exercised excessively, and was forced to reassess her diet and attitude when a treadmill she had been setting up collapsed on her because she was too weak to hold it.

Now 18, Sumaya follows vegan influencers who promote strength and a balanced diet.

She wants people who want to go plant-based after Veganuary to make sure they know how to fuel their bodies.

"I realised I can be vegan and I can be healthy... I don't need to be super-thin," she says.


'Spot the signs'

Tom Quinn, spokesman for eating disorder charity Beat, says some people with eating disorders may use veganism as a "socially acceptable" way to follow a restrictive diet.

"It may make it harder for people around them to spot the signs," he says.

However, he adds that for those in recovery, meal plans can provide "reassurance and stability".

He says more research is needed into the "risks" that veganism could potentially pose for those who already have problematic relationships with food.

After Sumaya's accident, her mother told her to pause her vegan diet and gain weight - and now Sumaya wants other parents to keep tabs on their children's eating habits too.

"Check [your children's] habits, make sure they're eating enough, and make sure that they're not... following influencers and YouTubers that are talking about random life hacks and silly fitness things that aren't backed up with science," she says.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Heatwave Disrupts Transport, Healthcare and Public Services as Red Weather Alerts Expand Nationwide
Barclays Warns of Growing Cyber Risk Divide Between Large UK Firms and Micro Businesses
European Defence Plans Including Ukraine Integration Prompt UK Strategic Reassessment
UK Equity Markets React as US–Iran Peace Roadmap Eases Oil Price Pressures
United Kingdom Expands Global Clean Energy Partnerships With Brazil, Morocco and Tanzania
Lord David Frost Urges Incoming UK Leadership to Abandon EU Regulatory Reset Strategy
Housing Groups Support Amendment to Strengthen Fire and Gas Safety Access Powers in Social Housing
South London NHS Estates Staff Ballot on Industrial Action Over Pay Structures in Hospital Maintenance Services
United Kingdom Government Invests £60 Million in AI Research Labs at Oxford and University College London
Barclays Cyber Security Report Highlights Rising Threat Exposure Among UK Small Businesses in AI-Driven Attacks
UK Met Office Heatwave Triggers Transport Warnings as Rail Operators Urge Cancellations Amid Infrastructure Strain
South London NHS Estates Workers Ballot for Strike Action Over Pay Disputes Across Major London Hospitals
Barclays Warns of Severe Cyber Security Gap Between Large Corporations and Small Businesses in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom Government Allocates £60 Million for Artificial Intelligence Research Laboratories at Oxford and UCL
National Health Service Approves Teplizumab Treatment to Delay Onset of Type One Diabetes in First European Rollout
Met Office Issues Rare Red Extreme Heat Warning Across London, South East and West Midlands as Transport and Health Systems Face Disruption
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Resigns After Labour Party Revolt Following Economic Stagnation and Local Election Losses
United Kingdom Economy Contracts for Second Consecutive Month as Private Sector Weakens and Job Loss Fears Rise
Taxpayer Support Grows for Higher Digital Levies on Multinational Tech Companies
Bank of England Signals Caution Over Inflation Despite Easing Energy Prices
Lloyds Banking Group Expands Artificial Intelligence Hiring Amid Sector-Wide Automation Shift
Film Producer Corporate Collapse Leaves Creditors Facing Unrecoverable Losses
UK Ten-Year Brexit Anniversary Highlights Ongoing Political and Economic Uncertainty
Nottingham Maternity Scandal Inquiry Reveals Systemic Failings in NHS Care
Met Office Heatwave Prompts Public Health Warnings Across United Kingdom
Concerns Rise Over Fiscal Stability as Political Uncertainty Weighs on UK Borrowing Costs
UK Taxpayers Back Higher Digital Taxes on Global Technology Firms, Survey Shows
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates Steady Amid Persistent Services Inflation
Reform UK and Opposition Leaders Call for General Election Following Starmer’s Departure
Ten Years After Brexit Referendum, UK Faces Ongoing Political Fragmentation and Economic Debate
Nottingham University Hospitals Maternity Inquiry Exposes Severe NHS Failures
Met Office Issues Heat Health Alerts as United Kingdom Faces Record-Breaking Temperatures
Andy Burnham Emerges as Front-Runner for Labour Leadership After Starmer’s Resignation
Keir Starmer Resigns as UK Enters New Phase of Political Leadership Transition
UK Expands Alcohol Ban Enforcement Using Tagging Technology Ahead of World Cup
UK Invests £50 Million in Critical Minerals Supply Chain Security
UK Appoints Special Envoy on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict
UK Introduces Fines for Landlords of Unsafe Rental Properties
Reform UK Leads Opinion Polls as Immigration Debate Reshapes UK Politics
Police Investigate Edinburgh Attacks as Potential Hate Crimes
King Charles to Publish Personal Tax and Royal Household Financial Records
Nottingham University Hospitals Maternity Inquiry Report Set for Publication
Heat-Health Alerts Issued Across London and Southern England Amid Rising Temperatures
UK Economy Shows Pressure From Middle East Conflict Despite Modest Growth
Brexit Anniversary Reignites Debate Over UK Economic and Political Direction
UK Parliament Continues Legislative Work Amid Leadership Transition
Financial Markets Hold Steady After UK Leadership Shake-Up
Andy Burnham Enters Labour Leadership Race With Strong Parliamentary Backing
Keir Starmer Resigns as UK Prime Minister After Two Years in Office
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson to Raise Pension Concerns Over British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme
×